Chicken run – joining in the garden fun

ByEmma

The weather does seem to be a bit hit and miss at the moment, I think it’s now that April showers are now in May.  But we have had nicer evenings on the whole to get outside and play or chill out in the garden.  Well, N plays, and I get ordered around by him, telling me where to stand, where to go and when to follow where he’s cycling to.

The other week N was outside as usual, playing with a ball launcher I’d bought.  I’ve been collecting outdoor toys as I see them on sale, in preparation for his party, plus I love toys like that where you can play alone or together.  I’m not sure N quite has the knack yet.  Basically you put the ball on the little holder, push it down, wait for the ball to be popped up into the air, and then hit it with the bat.  I’m wary of standing too close while he’s wielding a bat near my head, but he can’t put the ball on and get the bat ready.  Hopefully though, he’ll be able to make contact with a bit of practice…the ball, not with me!

playing baseball practice

Then a chicken appeared from round the side of the house.  It’s not unusual to have the dogs roaming around, there’s no fence at the start of our garden, it just blends into the in-law’s lawn.  But it’s not often my father in law’s chickens stroll that far away from their run and the other garden.  I didn’t think much of it, although just one lone chicken is unusual to see.

chicken and ball

N wasn’t bothered at all, he just carried on with what he was doing, so I just sat back with my camera and relaxed in the sun.  But it was a surreal situation.  Random bird wanders in to shot, decides to try and peck something new, comes over to check out me, and then heads off towards N.

chicken enjoying the garden with N

It seemed to be interested in the longer grass where the climbing frame wood has been left.  There wasn’t much of interest there though, so of it wandered again to examine the climbing frame.

sorting out the grass with a chicken in tow

Eventually we headed back inside, the poor chicken looked a bit left out, so off it walked elsewhere.  I didn’t think much about it apart from thinking it was a bit of a scrappy looking chicken.   It obviously likes our garden because it’s been back almost daily since.

It wasn’t until one evening when the OH was looking outside in the garden for something.  It turned out the chicken wasn’t one from the farm, but one of our lodgers’.  Obviously it wanted to go on a chicken run from next door.  At least she didn’t bring her friends with her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcPHlRHr08c

Do you have any random animals turning up in your garden?

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6 Comments

  1. How funny, your adopted chicken for the afternoon looks like she will have quite a story to tell when she gets back home! Lovely to see N out playing happily with his new toy, it does look quite a hard one to master but will be great for coordination. Thank you for sharing with me on Country Kids.

  2. I’d love to keep chickens too but we don’t have the space. And you make a good point about the shutting up bit-it does sound like you have the best of the options there.

  3. How lovely having all that space to roam, the true definition of a free range chicken! I’d love some, but being on the outskirts of London I have a postage stamp garden 😉 #countrykids

  4. Sometimes a dog from down the street ends up in our garden but that’s about it! We live in a city so it would be very surreal if a chicken wandered in!

    1. I like the idea of it, we have the best of both worlds. Seeing them wandering round, but then don’t actually have to do the feeding and shutting up!

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